New (to me) 1990 Eunos
Discussion
A week ago I bought a silver 1.6 Eunos its done 58k miles has new-ish hard and floppy tops, apart from a brave choice of 15" Wolfrace wheels by the previous owner which will have to go V soon its standard in every way.
Im starting to research suspension, wheels & tyres, roll cage/bars etc... Thought I would ask here if theres a spec most people go for.
I like the idea of adjustable Koni shocks with Eibach springs, but are coil overs the way to go and if so which ones.
I intend to do the odd track day but mainly its just for weekend use, no commuting. Im relaxed about budget but obviously saving pennies is good.
Also at 6'2" and 15 stone Im wondering about some Elise seats, is that a good plan?
Im guessing due to 02 sensors in the exhaust it will have a Cat but as its a 1990 H reg I can legally run without one? Hayward & Scott aren't far from me or is there a preferred exhaust the experienced run?
Any and all improvement info would be much appreciated!
Im starting to research suspension, wheels & tyres, roll cage/bars etc... Thought I would ask here if theres a spec most people go for.
I like the idea of adjustable Koni shocks with Eibach springs, but are coil overs the way to go and if so which ones.
I intend to do the odd track day but mainly its just for weekend use, no commuting. Im relaxed about budget but obviously saving pennies is good.
Also at 6'2" and 15 stone Im wondering about some Elise seats, is that a good plan?
Im guessing due to 02 sensors in the exhaust it will have a Cat but as its a 1990 H reg I can legally run without one? Hayward & Scott aren't far from me or is there a preferred exhaust the experienced run?
Any and all improvement info would be much appreciated!
If I were you I would leave well alone and just enjoy your car as it is for a while. The MX5 / Eunos was praised for it handling and so long as everything is up to scratch, you don't need to change things just for the sake of it. That said, if the shocks and springs are tired and need replacing, maybe go for replacements from the likes of shocks from Koni or Bilstein and springs from Eibach. If you're going on track just fit some Hawk brake pads and race fluid.
Anyway, enjoy.
Anyway, enjoy.
That sounds a cheaper option!
The suspension does feel a bit tired so I will have to change that soon, there is a significant gap between the wheel arches and tyres so it seems a good time to fettle that.
Im considering Team Dynamics pro Race 3 wheels, in a Mk1 wheel search I found a lot of owners fitting Minilite 8 spokes maybe thats cos they look a little like the original 14's. Is there a go to 15" wheel? Is 15" x 7" a good fit et 45 ish? The Pro Race is et 38 does pushing a 195/50 x 15" tyre outboard 7mm cause any arch contact when lowering?
The suspension does feel a bit tired so I will have to change that soon, there is a significant gap between the wheel arches and tyres so it seems a good time to fettle that.
Im considering Team Dynamics pro Race 3 wheels, in a Mk1 wheel search I found a lot of owners fitting Minilite 8 spokes maybe thats cos they look a little like the original 14's. Is there a go to 15" wheel? Is 15" x 7" a good fit et 45 ish? The Pro Race is et 38 does pushing a 195/50 x 15" tyre outboard 7mm cause any arch contact when lowering?
drgoatboy said:
Go for as light a wheel as possible. The original 14" wheels are pretty light, and going heavier can mess handling up apparently.
Oem wheels can be picked up for very little money but are mostly looking pretty tired by now.
Thanks, as mine has 195/50 x 15" tyres fitted I was thinking of replacing the wheels cos they're horrible & heavy but reusing the GY tyres. I also read that original size tyres are hard to come by now but I haven't researched this.Oem wheels can be picked up for very little money but are mostly looking pretty tired by now.
I have a 1991 Eunos V-Special that I bought as a fresh import a little over 2 years ago.
I originally replaced the oem suspension with Koni/Eibach option but didn't like how the car sat (nose down) so I replaced with a set of Meister-r coilovers and have never looked back - they are sublime!
I replaced the standard 14" daisy wheels with some Enkei RPF1s which are one of the lightest wheels you can buy - 3.9kg per wheel! I went from standard 185/60/14 up to 195/60/14 as I am going for the retro, balloon tyre look and this gave me a slightly taller profile. I plumped for Vredestein Sportrac tyres and they have been very good as well.
Mine is a 1.6, but runs 1.8 discs for the increased contact surface.
For exhaust, I still run my cat but do plan to decat sometime, but I have a cat-back Cobalt SS system bought from Moss.
I went on a run last May with the various Scottish regions of the MX5 owners club up to Braemar. We had a spirited drive up there and a guy following me was commenting that I could carry an easy 5-10 mph faster thru the bends with the coilovers/wheels/tyres I am running which made up for the power deficit - he was struggling to stay with me in the really twisty bits so I am happy that my wee car handles well.
I has the additional rear brace tying the 2 rear wishbones together. I also fitted a front strut brace but that is only for show as it doesn't really add much to the road holding as the standard double wishbone setup is so good.
I don't have the height issue you have (I am 5' 6") so run retrimmed v-special tan leather seats.
I have recently fitted a cold air induction filter that takes a feed from the scuttle panel beside the bottoms of the wipers, had to drill thru the firewall to fit and have replaced plastic OEM washer bottle with a metal one that sits in the other side of the scuttle.
If you search under my username, there should be a comprehensive build thread with loads of photos (still to add latest ones with induction kit, etc.).
I originally replaced the oem suspension with Koni/Eibach option but didn't like how the car sat (nose down) so I replaced with a set of Meister-r coilovers and have never looked back - they are sublime!
I replaced the standard 14" daisy wheels with some Enkei RPF1s which are one of the lightest wheels you can buy - 3.9kg per wheel! I went from standard 185/60/14 up to 195/60/14 as I am going for the retro, balloon tyre look and this gave me a slightly taller profile. I plumped for Vredestein Sportrac tyres and they have been very good as well.
Mine is a 1.6, but runs 1.8 discs for the increased contact surface.
For exhaust, I still run my cat but do plan to decat sometime, but I have a cat-back Cobalt SS system bought from Moss.
I went on a run last May with the various Scottish regions of the MX5 owners club up to Braemar. We had a spirited drive up there and a guy following me was commenting that I could carry an easy 5-10 mph faster thru the bends with the coilovers/wheels/tyres I am running which made up for the power deficit - he was struggling to stay with me in the really twisty bits so I am happy that my wee car handles well.
I has the additional rear brace tying the 2 rear wishbones together. I also fitted a front strut brace but that is only for show as it doesn't really add much to the road holding as the standard double wishbone setup is so good.
I don't have the height issue you have (I am 5' 6") so run retrimmed v-special tan leather seats.
I have recently fitted a cold air induction filter that takes a feed from the scuttle panel beside the bottoms of the wipers, had to drill thru the firewall to fit and have replaced plastic OEM washer bottle with a metal one that sits in the other side of the scuttle.
If you search under my username, there should be a comprehensive build thread with loads of photos (still to add latest ones with induction kit, etc.).
Thanks very much AmiableChimp thats all great info and I will have a look at your build thread.
Im servicing mine almost as I type as my car has been stored for 5 years after its owner passed away, it was MOT'd each year though which helps, and had been steam cleaned and undersealed before storage.
I will search up the suspension you fitted sounds like what Im after, and also RPF1 wheels.
Thanks again!
Im servicing mine almost as I type as my car has been stored for 5 years after its owner passed away, it was MOT'd each year though which helps, and had been steam cleaned and undersealed before storage.
I will search up the suspension you fitted sounds like what Im after, and also RPF1 wheels.
Thanks again!
g8ape said:
Thanks very much AmiableChimp thats all great info and I will have a look at your build thread.
Im servicing mine almost as I type as my car has been stored for 5 years after its owner passed away, it was MOT'd each year though which helps, and had been steam cleaned and undersealed before storage.
I will search up the suspension you fitted sounds like what Im after, and also RPF1 wheels.
Thanks again!
Keep an eye on the Grooup buy section on MX5Nutz forum as they quite often have deals with Meister - I saved around £100 when I bought mine, I also bought my RPF1s from Meister as well and saved a little bit on those.Im servicing mine almost as I type as my car has been stored for 5 years after its owner passed away, it was MOT'd each year though which helps, and had been steam cleaned and undersealed before storage.
I will search up the suspension you fitted sounds like what Im after, and also RPF1 wheels.
Thanks again!
AmiableChimp said:
Keep an eye on the Grooup buy section on MX5Nutz forum as they quite often have deals with Meister - I saved around £100 when I bought mine, I also bought my RPF1s from Meister as well and saved a little bit on those.
Thanks I will. I saw in your build thread you removed the air con, I was thinking of doing the same what did you do inside the car as in t'other side of the bulkhead? Is there a separate AC heater/cooling unit behind the dash and did you need any other parts?Did you have to alter the AC rad fan wiring to compliment your cooling also?
g8ape said:
Thanks I will. I saw in your build thread you removed the air con, I was thinking of doing the same what did you do inside the car as in t'other side of the bulkhead? Is there a separate AC heater/cooling unit behind the dash and did you need any other parts?
Did you have to alter the AC rad fan wiring to compliment your cooling also?
There is a condenser unit that I removed and replaced with a non-AC model pipe that fills the void.Did you have to alter the AC rad fan wiring to compliment your cooling also?
I altered the wiring so when I press the AC button the second fan comes on for additional cooling.
I saved around 18KG by removing all the gubbins from the AC!
g8ape said:
A week ago I bought a silver 1.6 Eunos its done 58k miles has new-ish hard and floppy tops, apart from a brave choice of 15" Wolfrace wheels by the previous owner which will have to go V soon its standard in every way.
Im starting to research suspension, wheels & tyres, roll cage/bars etc... Thought I would ask here if theres a spec most people go for.
I like the idea of adjustable Koni shocks with Eibach springs, but are coil overs the way to go and if so which ones.
I intend to do the odd track day but mainly its just for weekend use, no commuting. Im relaxed about budget but obviously saving pennies is good.
Also at 6'2" and 15 stone Im wondering about some Elise seats, is that a good plan?
Im guessing due to 02 sensors in the exhaust it will have a Cat but as its a 1990 H reg I can legally run without one? Hayward & Scott aren't far from me or is there a preferred exhaust the experienced run?
Any and all improvement info would be much appreciated!
I'm the same size/weight as you & have fitted Sparco Sprint seats & TRS harnesses.Im starting to research suspension, wheels & tyres, roll cage/bars etc... Thought I would ask here if theres a spec most people go for.
I like the idea of adjustable Koni shocks with Eibach springs, but are coil overs the way to go and if so which ones.
I intend to do the odd track day but mainly its just for weekend use, no commuting. Im relaxed about budget but obviously saving pennies is good.
Also at 6'2" and 15 stone Im wondering about some Elise seats, is that a good plan?
Im guessing due to 02 sensors in the exhaust it will have a Cat but as its a 1990 H reg I can legally run without one? Hayward & Scott aren't far from me or is there a preferred exhaust the experienced run?
Any and all improvement info would be much appreciated!
Running gear- Rainsport3 tyres, Rota Grid wheels, Meister R Shocks, Carbon Lorraine front pads & TR Lane rollbar with harness bar.
Oh & also have a M45 intercooled supercharger & a ME221 ECU.....
edit- if you look on Nuts there a guy breaking a Mk1 with all the stuff you might be considering... Seller nothing to do with me.
Edited by griffdude on Thursday 11th May 18:14
AmiableChimp said:
There is a condenser unit that I removed and replaced with a non-AC model pipe that fills the void.
I altered the wiring so when I press the AC button the second fan comes on for additional cooling.
I saved around 18KG by removing all the gubbins from the AC!
Thank you! I used your idea of removing the raised lettering on the wing indicators today, looks loads better.I altered the wiring so when I press the AC button the second fan comes on for additional cooling.
I saved around 18KG by removing all the gubbins from the AC!
griffdude said:
I'm the same size/weight as you & have fitted Sparco Sprint seats & TRS harnesses.
Running gear- Rainsport3 tyres, Rota Grid wheels, Meister R Shocks, Carbon Lorraine front pads & TR Lane rollbar with harness bar.
Oh & also have a M45 intercooled supercharger & a ME221 ECU.....
edit- if you look on Nuts there a guy breaking a Mk1 with all the stuff you might be considering... Seller nothing to do with me.
Thank you, sounds like Ive a long way to go to catch up! What size Rota grids did you fit? Im off to look on Nuts Running gear- Rainsport3 tyres, Rota Grid wheels, Meister R Shocks, Carbon Lorraine front pads & TR Lane rollbar with harness bar.
Oh & also have a M45 intercooled supercharger & a ME221 ECU.....
edit- if you look on Nuts there a guy breaking a Mk1 with all the stuff you might be considering... Seller nothing to do with me.
Edited by griffdude on Thursday 11th May 18:14
griffdude said:
They're 15x7.
Thanks, detail question the ones I've looked at on the internet seem to have raised alloy centres where a traditional centre cap fits. Is it a optical illusion or are they cast that way?http://www.rotashop.co.uk/rota-grid-15-7-4x100mm-e...
^^^ this is where Ive been looking.
AmiableChimp said:
Gad-Westy said:
g8ape said:
Thank you! I used your idea of removing the raised lettering on the wing indicators today, looks loads better.
And that has to have saved some weight and an aero improvement too! Win, win, win!
1st two weeks progress,
Ive polished the body work (all lights removed), valeted the interior, started cleaning the engine bay, changed the oil. filter & plugs, fitted a K&N panel filter, fitted new 2nd hand wing indicators (polished smooth) and replaced the os indicator bulb holder, the os side light had a broken bulb holder also so I replaced that with a new side light loom.
The stereo was permanently on so I replaced the bodged connector with a loom I soldered up. I removed the old fashioned immobiliser as that was annoying.
I also bought and fitted a new gauge cover as mine had no rear lugs and had been glued to the dash.
I made a stainless battery retention bracket as the previous owner had mislaid it.
Bought a Haynes manual.
Hardtop cleaned & polished and stored in its bag.
Floppy hood hadn't been up for 5 years, but previous the owner had replaced it & the condition is very good after some cleaning.
2 spare keys cut today.
Parts on order -
Fuel filter.
Gates timing belt & followers.
Gates non AC power steering belt I will remove my AC when I fit the timing belt.
Gates alternator belt.
Crank locking tool & cam shaft spanners.
Goodridge brake lines stainless fittings.
Non AC heater duct.
Leather G'stick gaiter
Im going to do a full service & remove the AC before deciding on wheels & suspension.
Ive polished the body work (all lights removed), valeted the interior, started cleaning the engine bay, changed the oil. filter & plugs, fitted a K&N panel filter, fitted new 2nd hand wing indicators (polished smooth) and replaced the os indicator bulb holder, the os side light had a broken bulb holder also so I replaced that with a new side light loom.
The stereo was permanently on so I replaced the bodged connector with a loom I soldered up. I removed the old fashioned immobiliser as that was annoying.
I also bought and fitted a new gauge cover as mine had no rear lugs and had been glued to the dash.
I made a stainless battery retention bracket as the previous owner had mislaid it.
Bought a Haynes manual.
Hardtop cleaned & polished and stored in its bag.
Floppy hood hadn't been up for 5 years, but previous the owner had replaced it & the condition is very good after some cleaning.
2 spare keys cut today.
Parts on order -
Fuel filter.
Gates timing belt & followers.
Gates non AC power steering belt I will remove my AC when I fit the timing belt.
Gates alternator belt.
Crank locking tool & cam shaft spanners.
Goodridge brake lines stainless fittings.
Non AC heater duct.
Leather G'stick gaiter
Im going to do a full service & remove the AC before deciding on wheels & suspension.
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